West Chester Area School District

Dear WCASD Community,

As we approach the end of another remarkable school year, I want to take a moment to express my deepest appreciation to each and every one of you. Together, we have navigated through challenges and triumphs, demonstrating that it is our collective spirit and drive to keep growing that truly makes this community exceptional.

As graduation is now truly just around the corner, I am filled with immense pride and excitement. Our graduates are leaving the District as bright, capable individuals ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. To the Class of 2023, congratulations on your achievements, and know that our community stands behind you as you take your next steps.

For our students, staff, families, and friends, I encourage each and every one of you to take the summer months to rest, recharge, and create lasting memories with your loved ones. Cherish the moments of relaxation and rejuvenation, for they will fuel our collective journey when we reconvene.

Wishing you a memorable and joyous summer, and I look forward to seeing our schools buzz with energy again in August!

Important Dates:

National Safety Month | National Bullying Prevention Month | Pride Month

June 6: East High School Graduation

June 7: Henderson High School Graduation

June 8: Rustin High School Graduation

June 9: Half Day for Students | PM Teacher Inservice

June 12: Half Day for Students | PM Teacher Inservice

June 12: Personnel Committee Meeting | 6:30 p.m.

June 12: Education Committee Meeting | 7:00 p.m.

June 13: Last Day of School | Half Day for Students | PM Teacher Inservice

June 14: Public Hearing | 6:00 p.m.

June 18: Father's Day

June 19: Juneteenth | Schools and Offices Closed

June 20: Property & Finance Committee | 6:30 p.m.

June 26: School Board Meeting | 7:00 p.m.

Our WCASD Class of 2023 students said it best, seeing former teachers, catching up with old friends, visiting the places where they first began to learn and grow, being remembered and cheered on in their next endeavors - these are the best parts of the Senior Walk celebration!

Thank you to our 43 amazing retiring WCASD staff members for everything they've done to make our District a wonderful place to work and learn.

Together, these staff members comprise a combined total of over 940 years of service to the WCASD We thank you again and wish each of you the very best retirement has to offer!

For the full list of retirees, visit our website.

Thank you, Johnna and Jaydon, for sharing an informative and entertaining report on all the happenings and end of years plans at Fugett Middle School.

We also said our goodbyes and thank you to our student representatives for this school year. Thank you for sharing such excellent reports on each high school and we wish you the very best!

We know your calendars are likely already marked, but just in case - the last day of school for teachers and students is Tuesday, June 13!

Additionally, the high school graduations will take place on the following dates:

• East High School - Tuesday, June 6
• Henderson High School - Wednesday, June 7
• Rustin High School - Thursday, June 8

The incredible Philadelphia-based mural artist Kaitlin Chow was back in WCASD last month to help make another school more beautiful than ever!

Thanks to a West Chester Area Education Foundation mini-grant and FHE's art teacher, Mrs. Russell, Fern Hill students got to learn from and work with Chow as they helped design and paint a large mural for their school. The mural represents FHE's school values and the power of teamwork to create something extraordinary!

The West Chester Area School District (WCASD) School Board of Directors passed a final budget for the 2023-24 school year of $302,294,995, approximately $5.3 million increase over the current budget (1.8 percent).

The largest component of the budget is the salaries and benefits for the District's 1,549 employees, which rose $6.9 million (4.7 percent increase).

Read a full article on MyChesco.com by clicking the blue button!

On view were visual artworks from all levels and Senior Art Showcases. The chorus also did an amazing job showcasing the performing arts and their many talents! Rustin students, families and teachers were able to walk through the many displays and speak to students about their work and inspiration. Congratulations and well done to these amazing students!

Thank you also to event coordinators, Joe Arscott and Lisa Bryan-Conforti for Visual Arts and Ann Ellis, Choral Director.

The Penn Wood Elementary School Girls on the Run team has completed their end-of-season 5K at Subaru Park!

These inspiring girls have dedicated themselves to hard work, perseverance, and personal growth throughout the season. Now, as they cross the finish line, they deserve a big round of applause!

Stetson Middle School held its annual "Hoops for Heart" Basketball Tournament, supporting The American Heart Association's American Heart Challenge. The fundraising efforts of SMS students, staff, and families raised almost $6,000!

Beyond the charitable contributions, "Hoops for Heart" teaches students the power of teamwork and the spirit of volunteerism. Thank you to everyone involved for your generosity and commitment to a healthier heart!

The BSU celebrated its Annual Kente Graduation Ceremony by bringing together students from East, Henderson, and Rustin High Schools for an evening at Rustin High School. The ceremony included a shared meal, speeches from Board Director Joyce Chester, advisors, and students, a tribute to Dr. Corey Bell, and incredible student acknowledgements and performances.

Congratulations to all of these wonderful students and thank you to their incredible advisors!

Students, staff, and families were captivated by the incredible talent of over 20 artists displaying their stunning work at this year's East High School Senior Art Show.

The works showcased by these creative and passionate senior artists were truly an inspiration!

Thank you to the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) for having the WCASD speak at Annual State of Education Breakfast!

The WCASD and Downingtown Area School District developed a presentation to share with the GWCC's leadership, members, and stakeholders on the state of education in our county. Dr. Reynolds and Dr. O'Donnell spoke about the importance of collaborative efforts to support recruitment in education, mental health programs, and special education needs. They also shared strategic goals for each district and highlights from the current school year.

We are excited to be offering summer programs again this year!

Summer Learning allows students in middle and high school to preview content they will learn in the upcoming school year and review critical content that they did not show proficiency in the previous year. High school students can also earn original credit over the summer to provide greater flexibility in their schedules and to allow them the ability to change their course progressions.

While schedules vary depending on the course to offer students flexibility, most summer learning options will take place between Tuesday, June 27 and Tuesday, August 8.

Hillsdale Elementary's garden project has officially come to fruition (literally)! Last year, the PTO garden committee and Marilyn Quinn, the garden teacher leader, worked tirelessly to turn some of Hillsdale's outdoor space into a thriving garden and finally got to celebrate the dedication in May.

Hillsdale's little gardeners have already made such a huge impact as they donated over 500 pounds of food to the Chester County Food Bank in the last year! Thank you to everyone involved in making this project a success, especially PentaHealth and the Chester County Food Bank. Your hard work and commitment have created a beautiful and sustainable space!

Congratulations to this exceptional students from across our three high schools on being awarded this year's Gifted PAC Senior Scholarships of $1,000 each!

The Best Buddies chapter at Henderson, advised by Mr. Rob McMahon and Mrs. Jamie Wagner, recently hosted eight schools at the annual Best Buddies – Fun with Friends event.

The students were assigned to one of 10 teams, with the goal of creating opportunities for expanding social circles using conversation starters and encouragement. The chapter organized and ran 10 fun-filled activity stations which included frisbee toss, face painting, parachute toss and cornhole to name a few. Everyone had a wonderful time. We are very proud of the Best Buddies chapter at HHS!

Yet again, the WCASD has quite a few musical events, accolades, and recognitions to highlight this month!

Last month, the East High School music department traveled to Six Flags America to compete in Music In The Parks and visit Washington, D.C.

The Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Concert Choir, String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra all took 1st place trophies in their respective divisions! Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band and Concert Choir received ratings of Excellent, and String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra received ratings of Superior. The Chamber Orchestra also received the Overall High School Orchestra Award for having the highest score. Additionally, Samantha Carroll received the award for Overall High School Student Accompanist and Jude Bennett-Johnson received the award for Overall High School Jazz Soloist.

We're so proud of these Vikings and their incredible teachers!

The Rustin Music Department performed extremely well in the Music in the Parks Competition. Wind Ensemble was awarded 3rd place with an Excellent rating, Concert Band was awarded 2nd place with an Excellent rating, Concert Choir was awarded 1st place with an Excellent rating, and String Orchestra was awarded 1st place with a Superior rating. Rustin also received the Esprit de Corps award which is only given to one school within the competition for their team spirit, working together in harmony with mutual cooperation. Way to go, Rustin musicians!

The Henderson High School Choirs, HHS Chamber Orchestra, HHS Wind Ensemble musicians along with the Brandywine Singers and the WCASD Senior Strings performed to an audience of 500 during a peace themed concert. During the first half, the WCASD Senior Strings under the direction of Katrina Kelly performed 4 selections, including Meditation from Thais with soloist EHS Senior, Daniel Cheng. This was followed by a peace themed song from each of the individual choirs, including, We Shall Overcome, For the Beauty of the Earth, Alleluia and Can We Sing Darkness to Light. The first half of the concert concluded with the combined choirs singing "Cornerstone" by Shawn Kirchner.

Following intermission, the great choral work, the Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem was performed by all of the ensembles under the direction of HHS Choral Director, Jonathan Kreamer. In total, 200 singers and a 70-piece orchestra performed the work about Vaughan Williams experiences during World War I and his premonition of World War II. It delivers an urgent cry for universal harmony in the face of looming horror, and a call to take a stand for peace—before it is too late. Vaughan Williams lived out the message of the work personally. Shortly after its premiere, he founded the Dorking Refugee Committee to assist victims of Nazi persecution and resettle them in Britain. During the war he personally escorted Jewish schoolchildren to a safe haven in Surrey, and housed refugees in his own home.

We are proud in the WCASD of our very dedicated and talented students. Although the Dona Nobis Pacem was composed in 1936 its theme still rings true today.

The East High School choir room is the place to be when Dr. Rollo Dilworth, from Temple University, drops by to lead an awesome choral workshop! Students learned from this dynamic, young composer and choral conductor while also preparing for their exceptional spring choral concert.

the Elementary Honors Orchestra under the direction of Leah Jurik and Kinsey Sullivan, the Middle School Select Strings under the direction of Tim Celfo and the High School Senior Strings under the direction of Katrina Kelly performed a concert to benefit the Volunteer English Program. This annual concert to benefit charity has been happening for over 20 years and is a great way to hear the progress the students make from the elementary to the high school level. The string program in the WCASD is strong with over 900 students in grades 3 - 12 in the program. The district has six full time elementary staff and four secondary staff.

This year's concert featured many classical pieces including Rigadon performed by the elementary orchestra, Brandenburg 5 performed by the Select Strings and the Finale from Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings performed by Senior Strings. The concert also included lighter pieces, Fiddle Faddle Hoedown by the 5th Grade Orchestra, Pink Panther by Select Strings and The Music from Wicked by the Senior Strings. Each of these auditioned honors ensembles rehearse weekly, beginning in January up until the May concert.

The ticket donations exceeded $1500 for the Volunteer English Program. Donations continue to come in. The WCASD String honor ensembles thank everyone who attended and donated money to this great cause.

Our WCASD elementary students had a blast competing at the District track meet! Thank you so much to our incredible parent volunteers and staff members who make this event possible - seeing the students enjoy friendly competition and making connections is such a treat.

Congratulations to the West Chester East Team who represented Chester County at the PA State Academic Competition at the Pennsylvania State Capitol and came home with 3rd Place!

WCASD student artwork was on full display during the West Chester Gallery Walk in the borough!

The artwork was truly breathtaking, and we loved getting to see students share their talents with the community as well as some very proud principals and teachers.

This past winter, the West Chester Annual E-Poetry Contest was launched under the leadership of Ms. Eileen Hutchinson, Chairman, and Ms. Jennifer Ozgur, committee member. The contest encourages both students and staff throughout the West Chester Area School District to submit original poems in any content area or personal topic of interest, including pieces connected to visual or audible artworks.

This year’s contest included a new entry category for kindergarten as well as Music or Songwriting. Over 85 creative entries were received covering a wide array of themes, crafts, literary devices, and words. Each entry, whether written, visual, or audible, was a testament to the true power of quality writing, imagination, and creativity to make deep connections within the domains of art, music, and technology.

Read more by clicking the blue button!

Attention all parents with school aged children! Children's Summer Food Program 2023 is open every Thursday afternoon from 4:00 - 7:00 pm starting June 15. Watch a video for more information.

West Chester Food Cupboard | 431 S. Bolmar St. | West Chester, PA 19382 | 610.344.3175 wcfood@gmail.com

Did you know that the WCASD offers a Senior Tax Reduction Incentive Volunteer Exchange Program designed to assist Senior Citizens with the burden of Real Estate Taxes? In return for volunteering their services through this program, senior citizens may be entitled to a rebate of property taxes in accordance with the guidelines outlined on our Senior Tax Reduction Incentive Volunteer Exchange Program webpage.

Before applying to the program, we encourage those interested to review the attached brochure below and the guidelines on our website.